Homemade Pizza

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients: 1 large pizza dough. 1 tablespoon of flour. 1 small can of tomato sauce. Pizza Stone or Pizza Pan. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (one package). 2 cloves of garlic. 1 table spoon grated cheese. 1 table spoon of olive oil.

Let’s Get Cooking:

Start off by Pre-heating your oven at 375F

The hardest part of this dish is creating the circular pattern for the dough, so it actually looks like a pizza! But really, its not that hard if you can get the motion re-occurring. First thing you do is make sure your dough is powdered with flour. You shouldn’t be able to stick to your dough at all, so if it requires you to put more than what I have suggested as the amount of flour needed above, please, use more. Place your dough in the center of your pan, making sure there is a bit of flour on the pan and that your dough has flour on both sides, pat the dough on each side. If you want to use a dough roller you can, or you can do it by hand. Stretch the dough so that it gets larger and stays in a circular pattern. Once it’s large enough, that it covers the entire Pan, you can drizzle your olive oil on the dough and open your tomato sauce can. Pour the can right in the middle. Using a spoon, start spreading the sauce by using a circular motion that starts small and gets larger and larger, until the sauce extends to the crust part of the dough, should be about ½ inch. Spread your grated cheese around the sauce as well.

Press your garlic, or slice your garlic and spread it around on top of your sauce. At this point your oven should be pre-heated. Put your pizza pan in the oven. After 20 minutes, check on your pizza, if you see any bubbles; use a fork to poke a hole in the bubble so that it deflates. After 30 minutes, and once it is a golden brown, you can take it out of the oven and add your Mozzarella on top, as much as you like. Place back in the oven, after about 5 minutes, your cheese should be melted, and it’s ready to take out and enjoy! It’s going to be really hot, so let it stand for about 5-7 minutes before you cut into it, otherwise the cheese will go everywhere!

          

Eggplant with Grape Tomatoes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 1package of Grape Tomatoes, 1 Large Eggplant, 4 cloves of garlic, Salt/Pepper, Olive Oil, 5 leaves of Fresh Basil and 1 cup of water.

What you will need: Sauté Pan, Large Spoon, or Flat Wooden Spoon, Cutting Board

Let’s Get Cooking:

Take out your cutting board and let’s begin with slicing the eggplant. Cut off the top and the ”butt” of the eggplant. Next, slice in half and then cut to create medium sized cubes. Put to the side. Next slice your grape tomatoes long ways, put to the side. Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the sauté pan and put the garlic through the garlic press or slice the garlic long ways so that it looks like a thin almond. Heat your pan, add in your garlic, have it semi-golden brown, then add in your eggplant. Cover for about 3 minutes. Now add in your cup of water. Cover again for 5 minutes or until your eggplant has wilted enough so that you can fit your tomatoes comfortably in the pan. Cover again for 10 minutes, stir the ingredients every so often. Add in Salt and Pepper. It is fully cooked when the eggplant and the tomatoes are completely in the pan together. Serve and add your fresh basil, slicing it chiffon style or a casual chop.           

Saute Escarole

Serves: 4

Ingredients: One head of Escarole, 5 cloves of garlic. ¾ cup of Olive Oil. 1 large pot.

Let’s Get Cooking:

Important: Wash each escarole leaf individually to make sure there is no grit/sand on any of the leaves. Once the escarole is thoroughly rinsed, break the leaves apart in half. Fill your pot ¾ of the way with water, place on stove put heat on high. Add in your escarole and cover until the water comes to a boil and your leaves have wilted. Your leaves should have a translucent color in the middle part, it is tender enough to strain. Once strained, in a medium sized pan, add in your olive oil. With the heat on medium, add in your garlic. The garlic can either be pressed or chopped. Once the garlic has turned a light brown color, add in your escarole.
Caution: your escarole will have some water on the leaves still, pat it somewhat dry with a paper towel to avoid oil splashing. You may want to turn your heat to low before putting in your escarole to avoid an oil splatter. Add in Salt and Pepper, stir/sauté as it is cooking, turning the escarole occasionally. After 5 minutes the dish should be complete and ready to be served. 

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Asparagus

Serves: 4

Ingredients: One Bunch of Asparagus, 3 cloves of garlic, Salt/Pepper, Olive Oil

What you will need: Grill Pan, Tongs, small bowl.

Let’s Get Cooking:

First, wash the asparagus and cut off about an inch of the stalk at the bottom. Next, peel your garlic and run it through a chopper or a garlic press. In a small bowl add about 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Give that a good mix, then rub the ingredients from the bowl onto your asparagus. Put your grilling pan on the stove and spray the pan with Pam. Once you can feel heat

off of the pan you can add your asparagus, you should hear it sizzle.. Let cook on either side about 8 -10 minutes, or until it is at the desired tenderness. The time on either side can vary depending on the thickness of the stalks. If you opt to barbeque the asparagus, you can follow the exact directions; just use a pan that is mean to for the bbq.

Chicken with Broccoli with White Wine Sauce over Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients: One head of Broccoli Crowns, 3 Chicken Cutlets, 1 ½ Cups of White Wine (pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc) 1lb of Pasta. ½ cup of Water. 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic. Salt/Pepper. Deep Sauté Pan, and Medium sized Pot for Pasta. 2 cutting boards. 1 strainer.

Let’s Get Cooking:

Let’s start by washing the broccoli, I also like to rinse off the chicken. Taking two different cutting boards, keeping your meat separate from your vegetable, place both on separate cutting boards. Slice your chicken length wise so that they are about an inch and a half long. Place on the side. Cut your broccoli into large pieces, taking off the stems, you can discard those, or save them for another dish. Slice your Onion in round slices and then cutting again in half moon shape, put to the side. Cut your garlic by either pressing it or slicing in the shape of almonds. Put to the side along with your onions.

Fill your medium sized pot with enough water to make 1 lb. of Pasta. Place on the stove adding 1 table spoon of salt to the water, cover and turn heat to Medium/High.

In your Sauté pan, add about 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Turn your heat on Medium. Once you can feel some heat coming off the pan, add in your garlic/onion. It should sizzle. Now add in your Chicken slices. After two minutes, turn your chicken. Now add in your Broccoli. Cover for about 5 minutes. After that time add in your White Wine, Water, Salt and Pepper. Cover for 10 minutes. At this point, your chicken will be done, so now it’s up to you on how soft or crunchy you like your broccoli. Don’t be shy, taste a floret, so it’s to your liking. If you think it’s done, remove the cover for about 5 more minutes. During this cooking process if your water comes to a boil, add in your pasta, stirring every 4-5 minutes until it is done. Again, how people like the consistency of their pasta varies, so at the 10 minute marker, make sure you taste it. Once the pasta is done, strain it in your sink, and then add it back to the pot you cooked it in. Now add in all contents of your Sauté pan. There should be a good amount of liquid in that pan to be absorbed by the pasta. If there isn’t, simmer 1 cup of Chicken Broth if you have it handy or another cup of white wine. You can serve this dish out of the pot into your guest’s dishes, or put in a large bowl for family style serving.